The Steel Guitar Forum

Anybody here use a converted acoustic for their lap steel stuff a la Kelly Joe? I'm asking because I've been using a Superior Weissenborn for the last 3 years doing my best to ape Kelly Joe's style and sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't be better off just converting a flat top acoustic. The Superiors are EXTREMELY wide between the strings, at least 2" at the nut and more up the neck so that it still feels kinda unnatural when I'm finger-picking (no steel-picks, thumb-picks). I'm wondering about if you need a wider nut for lap steel or if maybe a closer string proximity might add some speed to my playing. For instance, check out this guy Sean Pinchin playing on a converted Gibson Hummingbird (which I always thought was a little trimmer on the neck and nut):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-OMvIYz9iI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFb9ucjtfVw

To me, the tone and the tightness of the neck helps with that KJP style. Then again maybe Sean Pinchin is just an amazing talent making things harder by playing that Hummingbird. Anyway lets get your thoughts you guys if you have any about the optimal kind of acoustic guitar to convert into a lap steel.

Superior is known for building guitars with an unnecessarily wide string spacing. I had mine altered in order to make it more playable. I also wrote to the Superior people to let them know about my problem. This is a very familiar story to forum members. It is a familiar enough story to Superior that they have begun making Weisses with a narrower string spacing. I would have the Superior altered. The tone on mine was absolutely superb. You'll never get that out of a converted standard guitar. And there are good reasons why a converted standard guitar would be less playable as well.

Kyle,

I started (not so long ago) on a converted Blueridge dred, but for me I found that my Lazy River is easier to play and sounds better to my ear. The LR doesn't have the super wide spacing of your Superior, so that could be a factor.

I find the Weissenborn style guitar easier to play mainly because of the way it sits on my lap; the dred was always at an angle or I had to prop up my left leg which hurt my back.

I'd give a converted round neck a try. Maybe it will be just the ticket for you. It certainly works well for some great players; maybe that's why it didn't work as well for me.

There was a Superior on Ebay just a few weeks ago that went pretty cheap, the only reason I didn't bid on it was because of the wide spacing (2-3/4 at the bridge!). Anyway, the guitar in my avitar is a converted 12 string dread to six string lap steel. Since I made the nut and saddle I widened the spacing to 1-7/8 at the nut and 2-1/4 at the bridge to give me a bit more room for finger-picking style playing. My electric lap steel also has the same spacing so it makes it easier to jump from one to another.

My dread sounds good as a steel but I really do dislike the way the deep body and offset neck sit in my lap. This is one reason I'm looking at Weissenborn style guitars because I have no trouble with my flat bottom lap steels.

How about the kind of foot stool that a classical guitarist might use? You can get an adjustable one, ya know?

I just put a nut extender on a Seagull acoustic/electric, but haven't really played it enough yet to decide if I like it or not. It had a really high action already due to a warped neck, so I wasn't playing it anyway. I figured for the $8 nut extender and a set of light strings, it was worth trying it as a lap steel. As for the "sloping guitar effect"--I've been propping the neck on a towel on my left leg, but I've got a little footstool I'm going to try next time...

Thanks for the input guys. Yeah this is a tricky one for me... the Superior does have great tone as it was specially made with koa back and sides (spruce top).

Edward- That's another option altogether I hadn't thought of before.What did you do to have the Superior altered? Did you have to put on a new bridge altogether?

Mark- I thought about that with converting a 12 string because they do have more room, does that work for you playing wise?

One more question for everybody- If I was to convert an acoustic flat-top, what would I have to change on the guitar? Is it primarily just raising the nut or do I gotta mess with the bridge/saddle too? I'm asking because I think I might spring for the guitar linked below, a gibson f-25, and I'm wondering if I can just buy one of those metal nut-extender things or if I need to/should get it professionally done.

Link to auction on eBay.

Kyle, One good thing about a 12 string is that it's built to handle higher string tension. When you raise the strings on a guitar it puts more stress on the neck, plus you'll more than likely be using thicker strings and possibly a higher tuning... all put more stress on the neck. That said, you are taking a risk by buying a standard guitar and converting to a lap steel. Will the neck joint and bridge hold up? Keep your fingers crossed. Keep in mind that Kelly Joe Phelps has his guitars custom altered with a wider neck with a flat fretboard and who knows what else.

In answer to your question, I made a new nut out of aluminum angle that raises my strings 5/16 off the fretboard and I made a new bridge out of hard maple that raises the strings off the FB 3/8 at the last fret. I tried one of those nut extenders and hated it. It didn't raise the strings enough and the spacing was too close. Plus you need the height for a capo.

Also, I tried the footstool idea but it's something else I have to drag around, plus I like to sit on the couch with my feet up while practicing so then what? It's only good for sitting on a chair so it doesn't work for me.